The hottest project of the last decade: Ahar'la with a debut album • Listen

May 16, 2018   

He has been here for nearly 20 years, occasionally appearing in productions here and there, sometimes as a guest singer and sometimes as a soloist, but a big, real album, one in which he is a full partner in the production - has always been a dream for him. Through teamwork that lasted several years, led by conductor Naftali Moshe Schnitzler - the project took shape and now, the new album "Ahar'le" is finally in the air. Many parts of the album have already become hits before they were even recorded, which indicates that this is a promising and rich album in content that has not been heard for a long time. The list of composers that make up the album opens with a song by the Rebbe Maskolen, whose heart-rending songs touched the veins of Aharle's soul. It continues with the impressive selection that includes Pinky Weber, Meir Adler, Lipa Schmelzer, Yanki Daskal, Meshulam Greenberger, Moti Ilovitch, R. Hillel Plai, and concludes with R. Shimshi Neiman ("Neshem" by Shlomi Gertner) and Arashi Rotenberg ("Tenuel" by Shalom Lemer). "I know that there are artists who look for famous names, but this time it worked the other way around," says Samet, "the songs dictated and directed me. When we identified a fine melody, we simply adopted it. To my delight, I was also blessed with the fact that the list of creators sitting first in the kingdom will grace my debut album." In the processing department, Ahar'la also had the help of top Hasidic musicians: Moshe Laufer, Meir Adler, Naftali Moshe Schnitzler and Yoeli Diekman. The work on the album lasted several years, during which many elements in the music industry were exposed to the materials it contains, and none of them remained indifferent. The song "Lama-Aya" has already become a musical ironclad asset, being performed at countless events by many singers. But if there is one thing that Ahar'la is proud of more than anything, it is the fact that he managed to produce an innovative album without digital assistance. "Everything is authentic here, without a trace of electronics. Naftali Moshe Schnitzler was careful to preserve authenticity and not succumb to trends. I'm probably among the last to insist on a composition that is 100% live, but I believe that anyone who listens will be able to see that we didn't skimp and presented a prestigious and up-to-date production despite this." The new album "Ahar'la" contains 12 songs, each of which is a hit in its own right. A host of choirs take part in it, from "Malchot" to "Yedidit" through "Shira", "Naranna" and the children's choir conducted by Yossi Glick. Many important musicians took part in the vocal arrangements and others spent many hours in the studio providing advice and resourcefulness, for the success of the album - among them Yidel Werdiger, who accompanied the production throughout, contributing his talent and time, and Eli Sprei, who worked around the clock and, as Ahar'la defined it, "crossed seas and continents to synchronize the multitude of studios and creators." Eli Lisinsky was entrusted with the excellent sound, who gave the music on the album volume and warmth, and handled every sound and effect. Until the perfect result, which can be immediately impressed by the first track. This is an authentic Hasidic album on the one hand, and yet full of adrenaline and rhythm, music on a different level, melodies and refreshing and sweeping color, and it seems that "Ahar'la" is going to conquer the audience of Hasidic music lovers in Israel and around the world and accompany us for a long time to come.